"I'm excited that we're leading the NFC West," York said Thursday, via Comcast SportsNet Bay Area. "I'm excited that we're winning football games. This is a very difficult business to be in, and I'm glad that I have somebody like Coach (Jim) Harbaugh to make tough decisions for me."

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Harbaugh, who kept Kaepernick as his starter last month after Smith was knocked from the lineup because of a concussion, has been facing scrutiny for his decision. But one person who hasn't questioned the decision is the 49ers' 31-year-old CEO.

"Coach Harbaugh is going to make the decisions on the field," York said. "And if you want your owner and CEO to make your calls on the field, then you're probably cheering for the wrong team.

"It's Coach Harbaugh's decision. He's the head coach of the 49ers, and I trust him to make the decisions that we need to make in order to do what we can to win."